The Thief audiobook, part 2

[shelver506.livejournal.com]

Oh guys. I know I've already bent your ear about the audiobook once, but I just finished, and I have more things and feels to discuss.

First, let me say that I got to the point where the narrator didn't bother me so much, thank goodness. I think my main complaint now is 1) some of the intonation choices he made that didn't match what was in my head AT ALL, and 2) that he didn't do voices that clearly differentiated between the characters. Maybe I'm just spoiled by my Princess Diaries audiobooks, but I like characters to be distinct.

Okay, so, thoughts...

1) I completely forgot that the magus wrote in a journal during the entire trip. How FREAKING AMAZING would it be if that journal were turned into a novella or something? I'd love to get inside his head and read how his opinion of Gen changes over the trip. I get fluttery just thinking about it.

2) I also forgot that POL HAD KIDS. No mention is made of how old they are. What if Pol's fatherly nature toward Sophos was because his children were close to his age? And what if they appeared in one of the upcoming books?! It's possible. I mean, Gen rules Sounis now, and Sophos is back. They must know Sophos. Even if they don't play a major role (such as being a narrator, though that would be freaking awesome), how sweet would it be if King Eugenides met (even by accident or in passing) the children of his old friend? The feels, you guys, the feeeeeels. MWT, please give them cameos at the very least.

3) I had such a fun time picturing what it would have been like if Ambiades had not died and had been around to learn that gutter scum Gen was more important, more titled, and richer than he was!

4) And lastly, I was sitting in my car and sighed out loud at the line Gen speaks in Attolia's prison. "No one would start a war over me." Oh Gen, if only you knew.

Comments

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

I had such a fun time picturing what it would have been like if Ambiades had not died and had been around to learn that gutter scum Gen was more important, more titled, and richer than he was!

I did a lot of that too...

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

About Pol's kids: I wouldn't be surprised if they never turned up. mwt has a strange habit of lightly mentioning people of familial importance, but then never having them play an important role of the overall book. For example, the Magus has children, but we never hear about this fact after The Thief, and we never hear Magus talking about them or to them. Gen mentions his siblings (both brothers and sisters), but we never see them except in that one short story (speaking of which, I always wondered what his siblings thought about their little brother being KING of Attolia? Like, how do family dinner conversations back in Eddis go? "So Dad, how's gen doing?" "Well apparently can do whatever he wants!"). Same deal with Eddis. She mentions her brothers in her short story, and she even mentions a sister in QoA, but do we never see her interact with them. The only character who we see having real relationships with their family is Sophos. I mean, I understand why this happens--there's just too much going on to include a trivial chat with sisters and brothers and children if they don't enhance the book in any way. But I'm so close with everybody in my family it's hard to come to terms with it.

I know how you mean about the feels. These books leave you about to erupt from emotions.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Waitwaitwait. The Magus doesn't have kids.

Does he?

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

I could have sworn it says somewhere that the magus has three children who are living with their aunt somewhere (and I know I'm not confusing this with Pol, who has two kids). I just skimmed the entirety of the thief, and naturally I can't find that quote anywhere...and now that I think about it the magus might be a bit old to have children young enough to be still living with their aunt. But I swear I've read this every time I reread the series.

Edit: HAHA I FOUND IT:

Page 235 from The Thief: "His wife died in the winter. His three children live with their aunt in Eia."

[shelver506.livejournal.com]

That's about the Attolian solider Gen killed, not the magus.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Whew, ok, that's what I thought, too.

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

*rereads page* Hmmm...That makes no sense to me at all. I interpret the passage as the god trying to persuade Eugenides why he should save the magus and Sophos, and informing Gen about the magus's family was the turning point where Gen officially made the decision to help. I don't understand why the god would randomly refer back to the soldier that Gen killed, or even the soldier that pulled the sword out of Gen (and I don't know why that would motivate Gen to save everyone). However, my brain works in strange ways and this wouldn't be the first time I've completely misread something. Can you explain what's going on if the God is referring to the soldier?

[shelver506.livejournal.com]

Gen agonized over the death of the man he killed. When he learned Pol had died and had a family, he wondered immediately about the other man, if he'd had children to support as well. Much of his ranting and raving at god Eugenides had centered around his guilt over taking a life. As a parting "gift", Eugenides let Gen know what he needed to know. Talking about the magus' supposed children would have made no sense at that point.

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

Huh. Well, I trust your brains better than mine. Certainly fits better with the rest of the books, although I still have difficulty understanding that particular scene in that context. How I misread it for so long and after so many rereads is beyond me.